This invention concerns an improved machine applique method.
Appliques are created by a process of applying a plurality of fabric pieces, preferably of varying colors or textures, to a background fabric in order to form an attractive ornamental or artistic design on the background fabric. The design produced on the background fabric is generally derived from a printed pattern or the like. In this respect, numerous printed pattern packages featuring myriads of designs are commercially available. Each printed pattern package includes an instruction sheet typically having thereon both (1) an essentially full scale traceable drawing of the complete design (referred to hereinafter as a placement pattern) and (2) a plurality of segmented traceable drawings of pattern pieces which form portions of the overall design.
Some conventional applique methods are begun by forming an image or copy of the entire design on or over an upperside of the background fabric. This may be done in several ways. For example, the design may be traced directly onto the upperside of the background fabric with the aid of a pencil and a light table. In tracing directly onto the background fabric, however, difficulties arise if the fabric tends to slide. Moreover, light tables are generally regarded as nuisances and are preferably avoided whenever possible. Also, if traced lines are too light they become barely visible. If a line is mistraced too darkly beyond the borders of the design it will appear unseemly on the finished product. Further, as seen hereinafter, copies of designs formed on or over the upperside of the background fabric tend to become covered during subsequent steps, thereby obscuring some pattern outlines which are needed for the remainder of the applique operation.
Once an image or copy of an entire design is formed on the upperside of the background fabric, individual design component fabric pieces corresponding to each of the pattern pieces are cut from selected fabric materials. The fabric materials are selected on the basis of color and texture in accordance with a desired contribution to the overall design. This cutting process involves the steps of cutting out each pattern piece from the instruction sheet; tracing each pattern piece onto the appropriate fabric material; and, cutting the design component fabric pieces from the fabric material in accordance with the trace marks. Also, a similarly shaped piece of colorless glue type material should be prepared for each pattern piece. These steps are tediously time consuming yet subject to noticeable errors and inaccuracies if not carried out carefully.
The pieces of colorless glue fabric material are used to back the corresponding design component fabric pieces. As used herein, the colorless glue material may be of a type that is sticky on both sides or sticky only on one side. For backing, purposes, a sticky side of the sticky glue material is adhered to the back of the design component fabric piece. The adhesion step may be accomplished by known techniques, such as the use of a steam iron or a damp pressing cloth, for example. This backing assists the cut fabric pieces in maintaining their position during the remainder of the process and facilitates stitching.
The design component fabric pieces, each properly backed, are next positioned on the upperside of the background fabric. Placement of the fabric may be in accordance with the placement pattern formed thereon or, if the initial step of forming a placement pattern was ignored, in accordance with personal visual judgement. Each design component fabric piece is then secured in position by one of several possible techniques: (1) ironing fabric pieces backed with two-sided glue material onto the background fabric using a steam iron; (2) gluing the back of the backed fabric piece onto the corresponding portion of the background fabric; or (3) pinning the backed fabric piece on the corresponding portion of the background fabric.
Numerous perils attend the afore-described positioning and securing steps. Laying the backed fabric pieces over the placement pattern tends to obscure or even cover critical pattern outlines. This is especially the case when the fabric pieces must be cut a little larger than they will eventually appear on the finished design in order to facilitate an overlapping of fabric pieces as required for effective stitching in applique methods. Placement of each piece, particulary subsequent pieces laid over underlying portions of fabric pieces, becomes sheer guesswork in a process which requires exactitude.
In the securing process, the fabric pieces can initially slide from an insecure backing. Moreover, even a securely backed fabric piece may slide as attempts are made to secure it to the background fabric, especially if ironing or gluing techniques are used. It is extremely difficult to remove secured fabric pieces which may have slid or otherwise been mislaid. In addition, tiny fabric pieces rarely are properly ironed or glued to the placement pattern.
The fabric pieces are all secured to the background fabric in the manner described above beginning with fabric pieces which lie further in the background of the design and building outwardly. The fabric pieces are then secured onto the background with a special applique stitch which resembles a conventional zig-zag satin stitch. The edges of the fabric pieces are used as guides for the stitching. Unfortunately, the edges of the fabric pieces form poor guides for the stitching, especially when adjacent fabric pieces are of similar color or of slightly different shades.
After hours of laborious and tedious effort in completion of the above or similar prior-art steps, a finished applique results.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages of the prior art, an object of this invention is the provision of an applique method which, while being quick and easy to use, results in accurate placement of design component fabric pieces on a background fabric.
An advantage of the invention is a method not requiring the aid of light tables or sophisticated tracing apparatus.
Another advantage of the invention is the provision of a method which does not require a pattern instruction sheet having segmented pattern pieces.
A further advantage of the invention is the provision of a method which does not require tedious exactitude in cutting out a plurality of design component fabric pieces, but which permits a rough approximation of the desired fabric piece to be utilized.
Yet another advantage of the invention is the provision of a method which does not result in the obscuring or covering of critical pattern boundary outlines.
Yet another advantage of the invention is the provision of a method which facilitate accurate placement of design component fabric pieces on the background fabric, thereby opening the field to those persons with less natural artistic talent.
Still another advantage of the invention is the provision of a method which provides clearly visible guide lines for positioning of the applique stitching.